by Nora Penn
Along the way to the hospital the three of them managed to avoid any more roving swarms of spiders. James was grateful for this fact. Although they had plenty of weapons in the car, he was beyond exhausted by that point, and doubted that he would have been much good against the beasts.
When they finally made it to the hospital, there was some initial reticence on the staff’s part as the two men tried to explain their purpose through the wooden barricade. As soon as Doris stepped out of the vehicle, however, and said who she was, the barricade was brought down and the three of them were given a hero’s welcome. Both Hannah’s nurse from her spider-bite days and Carol’s nurse from her MRI test were there and were part of the crowd of nurses and doctors who sung the trio’s praises. They were all of course impressed, not only with the much needed supplies that the three of them had brought, but also with the rescue of Nurse Doris, who they were all overjoyed to know was still living.
The hospital staff also assured James and Bill that another party would be sent, with Doris in charge, the very next morning. When it came time for Bill and James to leave, Doris gave them both kisses and hugs and the hospital staff cheered in their honor. The sight of the doctors and nurses singing their praises touched James very deeply. He could tell from the lines in their faces how tired they were. The fact that they could still rouse their energies to give the three heroes a hearty hurrah meant more to James than even he could express. When he and Bill drove home that night they were both changed men.
Chapter 19
When they finally pulled into the driveway of Bill and Sonja’s lighthouse home it was almost midnight. Even so, the two women and Carol were still up. It was obvious from the looks on their faces that they had been worried to the point of despair. Thus they were extremely relieved to see the return of their men. Carol ran over and gave her dad a big hug, and then hugged Bill who accepted the hug gladly. Sonja and Hannah also gave hugs and then Sonja set out to examine Bill’s wound.
“I’m surprised this bite didn’t kill you,” Sonja said with a mix of amazement and gratitude.
“Me too, dear. Me too…” Bill said wryly, not wanting to hex his good luck by trying to explain it.
“I wonder if the spiders might be changing,” Sonja muttered, giving a voice to the hope that all of them had.
As Bill and Sonja were talking, James waved Hannah over and showed her the supply of Algopyrin that he’d brought back from the warehouse. He was especially proud of his “catch,” as it were, since he’d risked life and limb to get it. Seeing Hannah’s face light up as he showed her the supply made it all worthwhile. But of course the real reward would be the comfort the drug brought to their daughter.
As happy as James was, seeing his wife’s pleased expression, he was just as sad when her smile turned into a frown.
“Oh, no…” she muttered, looking closer at the containers.
“What?” James asked, suddenly worried.
“Oh, James, I’m so sorry to tell you this…especially since you went through so much trouble…but these pills all expired a few months ago.”
“Are you fucking kidding me!?!”
James said this so loud that both Bill and Sonja heard him. Even Carol pricked up her ears, which made James feel doubly worse.
“I wish I were, baby.”
“What’s the matter, young fella?” Bill asked. He wasn’t one to pry, but he was alarmed to see James get so upset.
James explained what was wrong. As he did so it was evident how much frustration he felt in that moment.
“Well, listen…” Bill said. “I know you’re upset. But it’s not a complete loss. After all, you saved that young lady from those thugs. And you and I also brought a lot of drugs to the hospital. Who knows how many lives we saved!”
James nodded. “You’re right…” he muttered. “I should look on the bright side.”
As James stood there, he recalled how Bill had put his own life in danger, and how he’d even been bit by a spider, all for the sake of the mission. He reminded himself not to disparage their hard work. To complain about this one detail seemed an affront to Bill’s spectacular effort.
When everyone was finally settled, they all sat down at the kitchen table and ate a stew which Sonja had prepared. Even though the stew was meager and made of mostly bland ingredients, like celery and mushrooms, and seasoned with just salt and pepper, James would swear it was the best meal he had ever had. And looking around at the grateful faces around him, he could tell that his companions would all agree.
After dinner Sonja cleaned the plates and Hannah put Carol to sleep. The men sat back at the table and sipped some herbal tea.
“There is one thing that gives me hope…” James said as the steam from the herbal tea rose from his cup. As he spoke his voice brimmed with an emotion that bordered on bashfulness, as if he risked dashing the fragile hope by mentioning his idea.
“What’s that?” Bill asked from across the table.
“Well, I was talking over my URH radio with this guy named Bigsby. He’s located in New York City. This guy Bigsby was saying that the spiders are starting to change down there. He said that the old ones are dying off and that a new breed of spider – a blue spider with a black cross on its back – is starting to show up. He said a lot of things about the spider, like the fact that they’re edible. But the one thing he said that really made me take notice is that they can cure cancer. I don’t want to get my hopes up, but if that spider exists, I want to use it to cure Carol.”
James thought the old man was going to dissuade him, and tell him that he was being delusional, but Bill had the opposite reaction.
“I find it quite plausible,” the old man said, “Things are changing all the time. Look at the bite I got back there in Boston.” He rolled up his sleeve. James saw that the two bite marks had darkened.
“See where that little fucker bit me?” he pointed.
“It’s amazing that you’re not dead,” James said, shaking his head. He was still dumbfounded by the old man’s good luck.
“Yes, it is amazing. But that’s why I bring it up. The spider that bit me has obviously lost its ability to necrotize flesh with its venom. Instead it just hurt like the devil. I felt weak for a little bit, but now I feel better than ever, although I wouldn’t want to ever get bit again, that’s for damn sure.”
“You’re right,” James smiled. “The fact that you’re okay is good news. Maybe it means the spiders are no longer as much of a threat.” The more he thought about it, the more hopeful he became.
“But time is of the essence,” Bill said. “Since the spiders are changing all the time, you and I will have to get down there quick and see if we can get ahold of one of those blue spiders before they adapt or evolve. They might keep their curative properties but you can’t be so sure. They might transform into something different. We have to get one of those blue spiders as soon as possible.”
“You’re right,” James said. “But this time Carol and I are going alone. You’ve been a big help to me already, but I don’t want to take you away from Sonja again…”
“You’re going to take Carol?” Bill asked.
“Yes, I’ll have to,” James said with some trepidation. “I don’t want to, but the only blue spider I know that is in captivity belongs to this guy Bigbsby. I doubt that he would let me take such a valuable thing and bring it back with me to Boston. So, as much as it troubles me, I’ll have to take Carol down there…”
“I see,” said the old man, and there was a long moment of silence between them.
“Here’s what I think you should do,” Bill finally said, putting his hand on James’ shoulder. “Take Carol in our RV tomorrow. Drive South on 95 to New York City. It’s a three hour drive. Sonja and I can watch Hannah while you’re gone and make sure that she’s okay.”
“That would be a great help, Bill.”
At that very moment, there was a cry of pain from down below. The two men, whose nerves were kept on perpetual ed
ge by the possibility of a spontaneous spider attack, leaped to the ready. They both tore down the series of ladders to get to the women below. James noticed that Bill was amazingly spry for his age.
“Is everything okay?” Bill asked when they reached Sonja and Hannah.
“She’s about to give birth,” Sonja said quickly.
“I can feel it!” Hannah said with a grunt. “It’s coming!”
Bill went to get Carol, who was sleeping on the couch. The older man gently carried her from the scene. Sonja told James to boil some water and to bring her a medical bag that she kept in the cabinet.
“I was an OBGYN nurse,” the older woman explained. “I’ve delivered more than one baby in my time. Usually I have a doctor on hand, but I’ll see what I can do.”
Again, James had to thank the universe for sending the right people his way. He had no idea how he would have handled the situation on his own.
The experience that followed was, for James, of absolutely unforgettable importance, and at the same time it went by in a blur. For the next half hour or so it was just him and Hannah and Sonja in the room, working with a minimum of conversation. Hannah continued to groan in pain between heavy breaths. Sonja coached her on her breathing and gave directions to James at the same time. Between the three of them, they managed to usher a happy, healthy baby Benjamin William Dresden into the world. The first ear splitting cry of the baby was the sweetest sound James could possibly imagine.
When little Ben was born, Sonja cleaned him up carefully and laid him gently on his mother’s breast. Seeing Hannah hold her son for the first time was the most powerful image James had ever seen and his heart swelled as he beheld it. A lump formed in his throat and tears came to his eyes. He managed to shake off the emotions that welled up inside him, primarily so he could assist Sonja, but the fact is that he was powerfully affected by the moment. So much had happened in a short period of time – most of it incredibly stressful – it was a godsend to have an event as pure and fortifying as watching his baby being born to wash away all of the negativity he had faced in recent weeks.
After a while, Carol and Bill were allowed to peek in and see the baby from afar, although Sonja forbade anyone else from coming close to the baby, for fear of giving the newborn their germs. When everything was taken care of, Sonja made a point of watching mother and child sleep together.
James, having witnessed an occurrence that was nothing short of magic, quietly crept from the room, so Hannah and his new baby boy could rest, and found Bill.
“Bill, I’ve changed my mind,” he said when he spotted the old man.
“What’s that?” Bill asked.
“I’ll have that beer after all.”
Chapter 20
The next morning Bill helped James and Carol pack up the RV. Their plan was to get down to New York and get back as quickly as possible. James had explained the plan to Hannah and Sonja, who both agreed that the mission was worthwhile, if it meant curing Carol.
James hated to leave his wife so soon after their son had been born, but the situation called for quick action. If he was going to ensure that Carol be able to live a long life and one day have babies of her own, he would have to make finding the rumored blue spider his number one priority. Then, once he and Carol had obtained the crucial prize, he would get them back as soon as possible so the whole family could spend quality time together.
Again, the goodbyes were almost too much too bear. This was especially true considering that his newborn baby Ben was one of the people who James had to say goodbye to. He couldn’t even entertain the notion that he and Carol wouldn’t be successful in their adventure. He cleared all doubt from his mind and told himself that he and Carol would find the blue spider, and quickly. With any luck they would be home by that evening. He gave Hannah one last kiss and lovingly caressed Ben’s cheek. Then it was time to start their journey.
Once he and Carol were on the road, they were both silent for a while. Carol was having one of her devastating headaches and James was pensive, both out of concern for his daughter and out of a sense of what dangers lie ahead.
As they drove south on 95, they passed not only the shells of cities where nobody lived, but the shells of giant spiders. It was a strange development in the spiders’ rapid evolution that they now shed their skins like scorpions. The hollow skins of the spiders were as ugly as the spiders themselves, maybe even more so, given the fact that the skins were empty, and for that reason slightly less real looking. The skins were also light enough for the breeze to blow them, and so they tumbled across the highway at times, creating not only a nightmarish spectacle, but a serious driving hazard as well. James kept his eyes open and drove around the blowing skins whenever they cropped up.
They were in Connecticut when Carol’s headache finally subsided, which meant that she was in the mood to talk. Carol, like many seven year old girls, was a chatterbox most of the time.
“Daddy?” she asked. “There’s something I don’t understand.”
“What’s that, darling?”
“That you are willing to die for me, Ben and Mom. You always told me to be the most important thing in my own life, yet you don’t live by your own rules. We are more important to you than you are to yourself.”
James again felt a tear coming to his eye. But he managed to suppress his emotion for the simple fact that he needed to keep clearheaded to carry their mission through.
“You know,” he said slowly, “you’re the ones keeping me alive. I felt the same thing before this whole crazy spider apocalypse began. I never told you this but your granddad, my father, was an alcoholic. Every night he came home and yelled at us when I was as old as you are now. Then one night he just didn’t show up. I haven’t seen him since. On that day I decided that if I ever had a child, I would never leave him or her alone. We are stronger together, Carol. Don’t ever forget that.”
His daughter was overcome with emotion. “I won’t!” she cried and leaned over as far as her seatbelt would let her to give James a side hug. “I love you Daddy!”
This tender moment was obliterated by the sudden WHOMP of a heavy object landing on top of the RV. The impact was so seemingly out of the blue and so drastic it jerked James’ hands off the wheel. The RV lurched to one side. James quickly turned the wheel straight again, but both his and Carol’s stomachs did flips inside them. He was wondering what the hell had caused the impact when he saw the giant legs of a spider hanging over the edges of the vehicle and trying to squeeze themselves inside the cab.
Although he couldn’t see it, he could tell that the spider was larger than any he’d previously encountered. It seemed to be as big as the RV, if not bigger. And the legs of this spider, as opposed to all the other spiders they had encountered, were actually quite strong. The skin, or shell, of the spider was much heavier than earlier versions of the same animal. The spiders were evolving and they were becoming more and more formidable with each turn of their evolution.
Carol, meanwhile, was screaming. James couldn’t blame her, of course. He even felt like screaming himself. Alas, he needed to keep his wits about him. He quickly considered a variety of tactics, such as asking Carol to throw some gasoline on the spider and light it up, but everything he thought of required putting Carol in close proximity with danger. He was still thinking of what to do when he saw two giant spiders up ahead, blocking the highway.
James slammed on the brakes. The RV skidded to a halt with a deafening screech. The sudden stop of the vehicle caused the giant spider on top of it to be thrown off. James and Carol watched awestruck as the giant spider bowled into the two spiders that had crawled onto the highway. For an instant all three spiders were jumbled together, their hairy legs intertwined.
James had to make a quick call. He looked at the spiders, each as large as the RV, and made the assessment that while their skins were harder, they weren’t exactly like knight’s armor. And what’s more, their bellies seemed as soft and vulnerable as ever.
&n
bsp; Having come to this conclusion, he stomped on the gas pedal. The RV shot forward. Before the spiders could untangle themselves and scatter, James hit them head on. Each of the three spiders folded under the force of the impact and was crushed by the wheels of the RV. Each time one went under a wheel, there was a gigantic splat. More than a road bump feeling, hitting each spider felt like driving over a dead tree. Rigid legs scraped the bottom of the chassis and brittle appendages snapped off under the weight of the vehicle. For James this was extremely satisfying and he made the mental note that he would have to get an RV for himself at some point in the very near future.
“Yay! Daddy! You did it!” Carol shouted in the seat next to him. Having his daughter as his biggest cheerleader made such harrowing moments almost seem worthwhile.
Carol continued to bounce up and down in her seat and sing her father’s praises. James focused his eyes on the road and beheld a truly harrowing sight. Straight up ahead he saw not hundreds but thousands of giant spiders swarming in front of them. The gnarly beasts were pouring over the hills like a thick wave of tar. Because the spiders had grown to such a degree, and because there were so many of them, the front of this wave was as tall as a building. It was a literal tsunami of spiders. James knew in an instant that the spiders would engulf the vehicle. He also knew that the giant spiders were strong enough to tear the little RV open like a sardine can.
He looked to the side and saw the same terrifying sight. He looked in the rearview. The spiders were there as well. When Carol saw how many of the giant spiders were after them her cheers of encouragement were replaced first by a terrified silence and then by a blubbering wail.
Chapter 21